Exclusive: Huntress Live-Action Project In The Works
We've exclusively learned that a Huntress project is in development.
This article is more than 2 years old
One of the things Birds of Prey did well is introduce a cast of characters from DC comics that audiences want to know more about. Now, the studio has shown they’re getting on that, with the recent announcement of Jurnee Smollett signing on for Black Canary for HBO Max. But what about some of the other characters we met in the DC film? What about The Huntress? We’ve now learned from one of our trusted and proven inside sources that the studio is currently developing a live-action Huntress project.
Huntress is one of those hero titles that have been taken up by many different people over the years. In the comics, the title has actually been taken up by both heroes and villains. Helena Bertinelli was the Huntress we saw in Birds of Prey played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and is hopefully the character and actress they’re working with on this new live-action film, though we were unable to confirm that this is their intention. The Black Canary movie for HBO Max will be using the same actress from Birds of Prey, which will connect her movie to the DC Extended Universe where Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn exists, so it’s a fair guess that DC is currently making similar plans with their new Huntress project.
Right now, DC has a lot of interesting projects happening. It can get a little bit confusing, particularly since they aren’t as committed as Marvel is to creating one, unified cinematic universe. While it would make the most sense that the new live-action Huntress project will include Mary Elizabeth Winstead playing the part, and possibly even include some crossover to the new Black Canary film, we’ve seen that DC is willing to have a project take place in an alternate universe if it better aligns with the creative vision for their project. This means we’ll have to wait to see how this project develops as they get all their places in place. This also naturally raises questions about a Harley Quinn appearance.
In the comics and animated projects, Huntress interacts with a lot of other DC characters, so the opportunity to introduce new characters in this solo project is there. However, she’s also connected to those Birds of Prey characters already. If the studio sees Mary Elizabeth Winstead playing Huntress once again, then the story takes place in the same world as Birds of Prey, which invites appearances from any characters in that film.
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn is a fan-favorite character, and one most often seen in a supporting role in DC films. Will she be likely to show up in the new Huntress project? While that’s certainly a possibility, it would seem likely that DC would worry about Harley Quinn’s draw overshadowing Huntress in her own solo movie. Instead, appearances by Black Canary may happen, connecting the two new solo films for audiences. Alternatively, Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya would be a fun choice. The actress doesn’t currently have her own solo film announced. She was popular in Birds of Prey and the actress has expressed that she’d be willing to return.
The Huntress project is certainly proof that DC is doing more to keep their cinematic universe exciting and full of fresh characters from the comics. It will be interesting to see how they bring these projects to life, and how they connect for audiences.
